Northern & Central Midwest

December, 2012
Regional Report

Tool or Gardening Product

Hori Knife
The miracle of all garden tools remains the hori knife. Used in Japan for centuries, this tool has made it to our country and is taking the gardening world by storm. Try it and you will be hooked. It is a knife, a digging tool, a trowel and a weeder all in one. Most are made of strong stainless steel and cost from $15-25 in garden stores and on-line.

Clever Gardening Technique

Use Wicks for Watering Houseplants
When you are planning on taking off for vacation or simply want to reduce your work load, think about adding wicks to your pots. Dampen and then tuck the end of a length of cotton clothesline into the bottom hole of the pot or into the top of the soil. Put the other end in a container of water. The water will be wicked through the clothesline into the soil, reducing the need to water as often.